Lighting the Way to Christmas Cheer

Every year when the holidays roll in, I love making cards that feel cozy and fun—almost like little winter scenes you could walk right into. This one definitely gave me those “tree lot on a chilly evening” vibes, with a cute gnome lighting his way through the evergreens.

For this card, I used the Christmas Tree Lot stencil from Picket Fence Studios along with the adorable Gnome with Lantern from Stamping Bella. 

I blended Evergreen Distress Oxide over a 3.75" × 5.5" white panel and added a bit of Pine Needles for extra shading, which gave the trees a nice textured look. Then I used my Copic Markers and colored up the gnome in classic holiday colors—bright red hat and jacket, a brown bag with a green patch, light brown gloves, and just a touch of light blue for snowy accents. The lantern is black with a warm yellow glow, and it really pops against that forest of green trees.

To anchor the design, I cut a black cardstock strip approximately 1" × 4.25" for the sentiment, stamping or die-cutting the greeting in white to stand out. The stenciled panel was optionally matted on a 4" × 5.5" red cardstock layer before adhering it to a green A2 card base. The gnome was popped up with foam tape slightly overlapping the sentiment strip, adding dimension and focus. 

For a final festive touch, I added a few gold sequins around the top corners and near the gnome to mimic twinkling holiday lights without overwhelming the design.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope this project inspires you to create your own cozy holiday cards this season. Wishing you a joyful and crafty holiday!